Shower curtain closure

ABSTRACT

The combination of a bath/shower enclosure with an innovative curtain arrangement to eliminate splashing water from exiting the enclosure. The curtain arrangement includes at least one elongated, hook and pile type fastening strip positioned along each vertical edge of the curtain, and a complementary number of such fastening strips, angularly oriented to the curtain fasteners, on the enclosure walls, whereby the curtain may be adjustably and temporarily fastened to the enclosure walls.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention is directed to the field of shower curtain closurestypically used with shower stalls or combination bath/shower enclosureswhere spraying water often escapes causing slippery floors, or evendamage to underlying floor systems.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The invention hereof relates to a shower stall curtain closure, or moreparticularly to the combination of a shower stall or bath enclosure thatrequires a flexible type curtain, such as made from plastic, whereinnovative cooperative means are provided to eliminate splashing ofwater from the stall or enclosure.

Shower bath curtains are often used with bath tubs to convert the bathtub compartment into a shower compartment. The curtains are suspended ona bar at a suitable height above the outside rim of a bath tub with thelower edge of the curtain placed inside the bath tub and with its edgesbeing located against the end walls of the compartment. It is well knownthat the above arrangement suffers from the drawback of the shower waterescaping through an area of corners defined by the bath tub rim and theend walls of the compartment.

The escaped water cannot only be a hazard to the one exiting the shower,by slipping and possibly injuring oneself on the floor, the water cancause permanent damage to the floor or underlying support surface. Thiscan result in costly repairs.

With this recognition and attending problems known for years, the priorart is replete with devices or proposed solutions in an attempt tocontain the water within the shower stall or enclosure. The prior artattempts are reflected in the following U.S. patents:

a.) U.S. Pat. No. 5,148,580, to Dyckow, teaches a kit for use to fastenthe outer surface of a shower curtain to an adjacent wall in the showerclosure. A sealing protrusion extends from the wall adjacent thefasteners so that, when the outer surface of the curtain is fastened tothe wall, the edge of the curtain abuts the protrusion.

b.) U.S. Pat. No. 5,101,522, to Prian, relates to a shower curtainsupport fixture for hanging a shower curtain above a bath tub whichincludes a generally U-shaped structure having an elongated main portionand a pair of opposite end portions extending generally transverse tothe main portion. A slot is defined in a bottom side of the U-shapedstructure extending along its main portion and opposite end portions soas to provide a generally U-shaped guide track in the structure. Showercurtain hanger devices are inserted through the slot and slidableindividually along the track provided by the slot. Aligned holes formedthrough the opposite end portions of the structure facilitate mountingof the structure with its opposite end portions extending in flushrelation to oppositely facing bathroom walls disposed at opposite endsof the bath tub, such that a shower curtain hanging from the U-shapedstructure by the plurality of hanger devices is extendable into the tuband along a front side of the tub and around front opposite cornersthereof to effectively block water from spashing out of the tub over thefront side and the front opposite corners of the tub.

c.) U.S. Pat. No. 5,070,551, to Harrison et al., discloses a pluralityof wall fasteners positioned along the vertical edges of a showercurtain. The wall fasteners maintain the edges of the shower curtain incontiguity with the shower walls between which the curtain is hung.Thus, the water spray from the shower can not splash past the edges ofthe shower curtain and the enclosure walls. The fasteners mate with acorresponding fasteners on the shower curtain. Approximately the entirevertical edges of the curtain is, thus, sealed against the shower wallsto thereby prevent any water from escaping.

d.) U.S. Pat. No. 4,825,481, to Lonberger, is directed to an arrangementfor placing a shower curtain within the opening to a combinationshower-bathtub enclosure which utilizes clamps, secured to the side orend walls of the enclosure, for the selective gripping of the free edgesof the shower curtain when the latter is in a use condition. Thepreceding prevents unwanted water spray passage into the area outside ofthe enclosure and, thereby, overcomes a problem which has been commonlyencountered heretofore. The clamps, spring-urged to a normally grippingrelationship, serve convenience in use.

e.) U.S. Pat. No. 4,769,862, to Skrzelowski, relates to a shower curtainsupport defined by a track for slidably suspending a shower curtainacross the front opening of a shower stall and around the end corners ofthe support rearwardly at the front opening. End portions of the showercurtain may be drawn around the corners and inside the shower stall tooverlap at least a portion of the surface of the stall end walls inorder to prevent leaks. Alternately, a continuous curtain support trackis provided in a U-shape or other configuration. End pieces attachedthereto support a curtain in a plane parallel to the wall surfaces toprevent spraying or splashing outside the shower area.

f.) U.S. Pat. No. 4,077,072, to Dezura, teaches a device for releasablysecuring to a bath tub compartment at least one end of a shower curtainarranged such that the part of the shower curtain near one vertical edgethereof is not only secured to the generally vertical wall of thecompartment, at least a part of the front portion is also secured to thehorizontal rim of a bath tub. The curtain thus forms, on releasablyfixing same to the compartment, a corner envelope which effectivelyprevents undesired escape of shower water.

g.) U.S. Pat. No. 3,808,610, to Mortensen, discloses a shower curtainguard for use particularly in connection with shower enclosures aboveconventional bath tubs. The guard comprises a vertical bar or rail,attached by a double adhesive medium, to the wall at one or both ends ofthe tub. The rail is bent inwardly above the tub to hold the lower endof the curtain within the tub while affording a wider shower compartmentabove the tub. A spongy plastic seal prevents escape of water betweenthe tub and the lower end of the bar to rail. Interlocking fibre patcheson the curtain and on the rail, which are separable, secure the curtainso as to prevent water passing outside the compartment.

While the prior art offers proposed solutions for containing waterwithin a shower stall or enclosure, none teach a simple, readilyadjustable means to accomplish the goal of preventing splashing waterfrom leaving the shower enclosure. The manner by which this simplicityis achieved in the present invention will become more apparent from thefollowing description.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Invention relates to the combination of a personal shower enclosure,characterized by a pair of parallel, spaced-apart walls to support ashower rod from which is suspended a flexible, slidably mounted showercurtain, and an innovative curtain. The curtain is of a sufficient widthto extend between the spaced-apart walls and to be inturnedthereagainst. In close proximity to each vertical edge of the showercurtain is at least one fabric-type hook and pile fastener strip, acommercial fastening device sold under the trademark VELCRO.Complementary, transversely oriented fabric-type, hook and pile fastenerstrips are mounted to the respective spaced-apart walls, adjacent thearea of the vertical walls of the curtain, whereby the curtain may beadjustably secured between the spaced-apart walls to eliminate splashingwater from escaping the shower enclosure.

Accordingly, an object of this invention is to provide a convenient, yeteffective means to protect a shower enclosure, while at the same timeallowing easy access to or from the enclosure.

Another object hereof is to provide easy adjustability of the showercurtain protecting the shower enclosure.

These and other objects will become apparent to those skilled in the artfrom a reading of the following description, particularly when read inconjunction with the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a partial, front perspective view of a personal showerenclosure showing the mounting and positioning technique for securing ashower curtain over the opening of the shower enclosure to preventsplashing water escaping therefrom, according to this invention.

FIG. 2 is a top view of a personal shower enclosure utilizing themodified shower curtain hereof.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

This invention relates to an effective shower curtain closure thateliminates splashing water from accidentally exiting the bath/showerenclosure. The invention is illustrated in combination with abath/shower enclosure in the two Figures. Briefly, and by way ofbackground, such enclosure typically includes a back wall 10, a pair ofgenerally parallel, spaced-apart end walls 12, and a tub 14 positionedtherewithin, where a front wall 16 of the tub defines an elevated stepinto the tub for showering. Disposed above the front wall 16 is anextendable rod 18 from which a shower curtain 20, such as made fromplastic, may be suspended by plural sliding brackets 22, all as known inthe art. A typical plastic curtain 20 includes a reinforced upper seamwith holes for receiving about twelve such brackets. Further, ascommercially available, the length of the curtain 20 generally exceedsthe length of the tub 14 by eight to twelve inches.

Turning specifically to the two Figures, which illustrate the innovativefeatures hereof, the respective end edges 24 are provided with at leastone horizontally disposed hook and pile fabric fastening strips 26, acommercial product sold under the trademark, VELCRO. For reasons tobecome apparent hereafter, the fastening strips are sized on a ratio ofat least about 3 to 1, length to width.

On the end walls 12, spaced inwardly from the vertical plane of theextendable rod 18, are positioned at least one elongated hook and pilefastening strip 28, angularly disposed, preferably vertically, relativesaid fastening strips 26, where such strips are characterized by alength to width ratio of at least 3 to 1. As best seen in FIG. 2, byplacing the fastening strip(s) inwardly from the extendable rod 28, thecurtain 20 may be turned inwardly and temporarily fastened against theend wall 12. By this simple means, splashing water is effectivelycontained within the tub 14. Further, by the different angularorientation of the respective, elongated fastening strips 26, 28,adjustment is readily achieved in temporarily securing the curtain 20 tothe respective end walls 12. In the event there is insufficient lengthto wrap the curtain ends against the end walls, the end most brackets 22may be removed, note FIG. 1.

It is understood that modifications may be made in the features of thisinvention, particularly by those skilled in the art. Accordingly, nolimitation should be imposed on the invention hereof, except as setforth in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:
 1. In combination with a personal shower enclosurehaving at least a pair of spaced-apart, generally parallel enclosurewalls adapted to support a horizontally disposed curtain support rodextending therebetween, said combination comprising: a.) a flexibleshower curtain, slidably secured along said curtain support rod, of alength greater than the horizontal length of said curtain support rod,said flexible shower curtain having a generally rectangularconfiguration with a top edge slidably secured to said curtain supportrod, and first and second side edges each containing at least onehorizontally disposed hook and pile fabric strip, and b.) at least onevertically oriented hook and pile fabric strip angularly disposedrelative to said horizontally disposed hook and pile fabric strip,inwardly spaced from the plane of said curtain support rod, secured tosaid enclosure walls, whereby the shower curtain may be turned inwardlyfor adjustable and temporary securement to the respective enclosurewalls to confine the water to the shower enclosure.
 2. The combinationaccording to claim 1, wherein said respective hook and pile fabricfasteners are elongated, and complementary said fabric fasteners areoriented at about 90 degrees thereto, so as to allow easy adjustabilitybetween said complementary fabric fasteners.
 3. The combinationaccording to claim 2, wherein each said fabric fastener has a length towidth ratio of at least 3 to
 1. 4. The combination according to claim 1,wherein each vertical edge of said shower curtain includes plural,spaced-apart said fabric fastener strips.